Chris Thomasma

Chris Thomasma’s love for the world of comics is infectious. You can find him walking the halls and rows of any comic con he’s attending in the early morning hours of the show before it opens, chatting it up with the other exhibitors. In an industry where it’s sometimes said “once you step on the other side of the table, you can’t go back again” Chris has found a way to remain excited about comics, their future potential and what he’s planning next.  Our very own Trico Lutkins had an opportunity to shoot a few questions at Christopher.

How did you first get into comics?

I watched the 2002 Spider-Man movie when I was little. That was my gateway drug into comics. After watching that, I had to find out more about comics & superheroes.

What’s your favorite comic?

It’s a tie between the current Iron-heart run & All-New Wolverine run. I love it when superheroes must take care of kids & the writing/artwork on Iron-heart was so well done, it felt like I was watching a movie.

Clarity Girl seems to take the superhero genre in a brand-new direction. How did you come up with the idea for her?

 Thanks! With Clarity Girl, I really wanted to pay homage to old superhero comics (back when things were fun and happy) & break overused story devices (such as parents dying). Another big motive was to create a Deadpool or a Spider-Man for little girls. A happy hero that cracks jokes while saving the day. I feel there aren’t too many of those (especially of color).

You have a unique art style that seems to draw from a lot of different genres and styles.

 That is correct. I like American cartoons & manga, so those are the two that influences my work the most.

How would you describe your art style?

 I just say cartoonish. Some people who don’t anything about anime/manga get confused when I say chibi.

What art or artist has influenced you the most?

 Well, I’ve always liked to study the art of Sean Galloway, Skottie Young, Babs Tarr, & Amanda Conner. So, I got to say Sean Galloway, Skottie Young, Babs Tarr, and Amanda Conner.

On this project, do you usually start drawing with a paper and pencil or is it all digital?

 I always start on paper & color digitally. I’m old school like that, ha-ha.

On other projects do you go strictly digital or use traditional drawing methods?

 I always draw on paper first no matter what project I’m working on.

On Clarity Girl #2 you pulled double duty, writing and drawing, what were some of the advantages and disadvantages of that?

 The advantages were that I liked being able to scrap pages that didn’t fit and change words to fit the artwork better (without any need for discussion). It’s hard to pinpoint the disadvantages for #2 because my main problem was planning ahead & time.

Clarity Girl was your creation and to bring her to life, you have a team working on the series. How did you bring together your creative team?

 Facebook. I got Bill over a misunderstanding because I thought he said he was looking for free work & I was looking for a writer to work on this as a collaboration. After talking for a while he decided he wanted to be a part of Clarity Girl mainly because he didn’t do anything like it before. Laurie (my editor) & Alex (my letterer) were recommendations from other indie friends. They are all nice & have good work ethics, therefore I’m glad to say I worked with them. (If I ever get invited on a talk show, I’m taking you guys with me to talk too!)

What has the experience been like working with so many other people on your book?

 Really fun. Really, fun. I’m very blessed to have so many people who encourage me, are willing to put their best foot forward and make Clarity Girl greater.

What other writers or artists have you worked with?

 So far Bill McCormick (as I mentioned above) & Tyler Carpenter (even though we both had busy schedules & never finished our project).

If you could work on any book, as a writer or an artist, which book would be your dream comic to work on?

 I would love to work on a Marvel book (that sells, ha-ha). Preferably Squirrel Girl.

What projects do you currently have in the works?

 So far, I’ve been focusing my energy on Clarity Girl.

You can find more of Chris’ work and his upcoming appearances at
https://www.facebook.com/claritygirlcomic/